The Passings Of A Tired Mind
by The Chesapeake Stripper
Summary: You have a year to train young mutants, including yourself. Falling in love wont end the world to quickly, will it? XMFC Erik/Charles
1. Arrival

A/N: Okay, so basically, this all takes place at the mansion, and yes, I'm aware the mansion scenes only spanned ten days, but fuck that shit, lets make it a YEAR! Why? Because every other scene has them either angry or dying, and that is fun for no one. Anyways, the title is called 'The Passings Of A Tired Mind' because after my first viewing the movie (I've seen it a total of five times now) I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about how cute Erik and Charles were during the movie, and how I could incorporate that into fanfiction. So most of this story is from me on my laptop at two in the morning. Anyways, I'll be slashing as many people as I can, but the main pairings are Erik/Charles, Raven/Hank, and Sean/Alex. I have little regard as to keeping this close to cannon however, I still try. The main theme here is Cherik goodness, so put on your slash goggles and get to reviewin'!

"How did you _survive_?"

Erik scoffed at his own question slightly, sarcasm brimming as the six of them approach the mannor. The grandness of it all mesmerized the younger mutants, and Charles just smirked at the remark.

"He had me of course." Raven chirped.

The large doors creaked as they opened and Charles led them to each of their temporary rooms. "Raven, you know where everything is, why don't you show the others around..." Raven smiled, nodded, and continued to lead the mutants into another room. Erik still stood by Charles as the others exited, Raven motioning for him to follow along as he shook his head in reply.

"I rather look around myself." A look toward Charles told him he wouldn't be alone whilst wandering the halls. Erik sighed and asked where he'd be sleeping for the time being. He walked along side Charles down winding hallways and seemingly endless stairwells as their shoulders casually touched, and occasionally the other would flinch, not knowing if the contact would be acceptable. Charles didn't even notice the touching, just the awkward flinching away when it happened.

"Something wrong, Erik?" Charles, having already read the other's mind, asked sarcastically. "Because I won't bite you for happening to brush past me, or for anything at that measure." Tight lips curled upward, but only for an unnoticeable second.

At last, after many paces throughout the mansion, Charles opened a mahogany door and stepped aside, signaling for Erik to walk inside the room. The celing was high above their heads, the soft glow emitting from the window lighted the room, and the wood walls shone from the varnish that coated the panels. The distinct lack of metal objects in the room discouraged the man who now inhabits it, the warm-colored wood surrounded him, depressed him in an odd way.

Charles stood in silence for a while as Erik took in the room, looking over the structure of the bedroom and admiring it's condition for it's age.

"So, you'll be residing...?" Only after realizing how the question sounded, and that Charles was smiling at the thought did he try and correct himself. And of course the telepath beat him to it.

"Exactly across the hall, if you must know." Charles exhaled loudly before speaking again. "I'll let you get settled. If you have trouble finding anything, feel free to ask either Raven or I." A sharp turn of his heel and he was out and into the hallway, heading for God-knows-where in the castle of a house.

As he made his way down the foyer, he spotted Raven laughing and talking to rather flushed and timid Hank. "Sorry to intrude, but where are Sean and Alex?" Raven quirked an eyebrow and looked up at Charles.

"Where's Erik?" Raven tilted her head and looked around Charles trying to find said man. She stiffened when she realized how desperate she sounded, and answered Charles instead. "Kitchen."

He nodded in response, continued down the hall, and tried desperately not to let Raven's odd curiosity about Erik's whereabouts bother him. Failing horribly, he turned around sharply on his heels and confronted the shape-shifter, a false smile masking over his face. Raven sighed, she could already tell where this conversation was going.

"Out of random interest, he left with you, you came back without him, I was curious. _Gosh_ Charles, could you be anymore strange?"

Charles stood there for a moment, processing her words carefully."I could be more strange if I tried, I bet."

Hank darted his eyes between the two, the conversation skipping around to fast for him to keep up. Charles noticed this and looked back at Raven before smirking at Hank. "Careful Hank, there might just be some competition in this house." Raven's jaw dropped and made an incredulous sqwak and Hank laughed nervously at Charles's statement. After smiling innocently at Raven, the telepath made his way past the couple and continued on his way to the kitchen.

"Heh, he- he was kidding, right? You don't like Erik... do you?" Hank tilted his head and bit his lip, awaiting Raven's reply.

"Of course not. Don't take him seriously okay?" Raven didn't meet the other's eyes when she spoke. Hank sighed and smiled, Raven looked down as Hank leaned against the wall with relief. "I still need to unpack, I'll talk to you later okay?" Hank beamed and nodded his head as Raven turned and entered her dorm.

Erik could always tell when the telepath would leave his mind.

The sudden feeling of loneliness that would wash over him, overwhelm him, and even scare him a little, was the first tell-tale sign. Though, no matter how hard he tried, he could never tell when Charles would enter his thoughts. He could only ever feel the over-powering sense of loss when the mind-reader was abscent. Erik never bothered to call him out when he did read his mind, the casual finger gliding down the side of his head when he did this was very obivous to the metal-bender, but he would calm his mind and let the stranger root around until he could feel the flutter of loneliness return to him.

Although he has said many times that Charles was not welcome in the other's mind, Erik knew this a lie. And so did Charles.

As Erik's suitcase hit the floor, he felt a pang of loneliness hit him, and he cursed quietly to himself as he came crashing down onto his bed. His eyes fell and the last thing he could feel before he fell asleep was an odd sensation he could only describe as comfort. His tired mind heard a voice, a very warm and inviting voice, quietly whisper, 'Good night, my friend.'

Sean and Alex retired early after briefly training with Charles, as did Raven and Hank.

Charles strolled through his small library, looking for something he had not already read, squinting in order to see past the dust that draped over the series of books, which were neatly organized on wooden shelves. He let his hand travel to his face and gently placed two fingers against his temple, still slowly walking down the isle of books. He searched for no one in particular to look to, the dreams of the younger mutants were common, and therefore boring to the telepath. He hesitated before even grazing the thoughts of Erik, made sure he was asleep before returning to the man's mind.

Erik's dream was bloodied and dark. Rain pouring as thick as the blood that soaked the ground beneath a boy. Dark hair covering his eyes, suspenders hanging from the boy's starved frame. The metal from the barbed fences vibrated and shook with the boy's increasing anger, a man in a black suit behind him whispering in German while the boy tore the buttons off of the man's suit, along with every other metal object in the youth's sight. The barbed wire shot from the fence and tangled itself around the man, twisting and sawing through his flesh. As the man fell to the ground, wires still attacking him, the boy screamed into the nothingness, rain washing the blood away. The awful sight cleared and Erik had returned to consciousness.

Charles backed out of the other's mind slowly, somewhere between shocked and horrified, he exited his library and quietly walked towards Erik's room. He pressed his ear against the door for a moment before softly tapping against the bedroom door, just loud enough for the other to hear.

Erik sat upright in his bed, his hands threaded through his own hair, grinding his teeth to keep from screaming. He leaned against the headboard and didn't bother hiking up the sheet around his scarred frame. "Yes?" The words were meant to come out calmly, failing, they came stuttered and jittery. Charles poked his head through the doorway, half of his body in the room, timid as he spoke softly.

"Are you alright?" Erik rolled his eyes and faced the telepath.

"No."

Charles closed the door behind him and walked swiftly across the room, over to Erik's bed. He stood at the bed for a moment, not knowing what to do until the other looked at him and darted his eyes toward the bed, and scooted over for Charles to sit. Charles hesitantly sat gently on the edge of the bed, resting against the headboard along with Erik. They sat in silence for a while before Erik decided to speak.

"Why are you still up? It's three in the morning." Charles jumped at the sudden break of silence, but replied calmly.

"Insomnia, had it since I was a kid. I have a very busy mind, constantly on overdrive, it's hard to find sleep when your brain has other things in mind." Erik sat and considered the telepath's words, slowly piecing the conversation in his tired mind.

"And why did you knock on my door?"

Charles flushed. He knew of Erik's dislike of having his mind read, it was an intrusion of privacy. Charles sunk a little with guilt. "I heard you wake up, figured you had a nightmare. I was... worried." Erik smirked, he knew a lie when he heard one. But he didn't pry, nor did he call the telepath out. He also knew a kind gesture when he saw one, checking on him was nice, to say the least.

"Thank you..." Erik's voice drifted off, slowly falling back asleep with Charles by him.

They sat upright in the bed, asleep when Raven found them the next morning. She gasped and sniggered and informed the other mutants that 'Professor X' and 'Magneto' would be late for training this morning.


	2. What is Happening?

A/N: Okay readers, last chapter was short so here's a long one! (Wooooo!) And yes, this one has the satellite scene in it. Why? Because I wanted to push Erik and Charles's relationship up a bit, kind of bonding as friends before I start heavily romanticizing them. Which also means I had to push the president's statement, and I know, I know, that doesn't happen until the last day, but who gives a shit. Also, I was asked by a friend, since in my headcannon they're there for a year together, do I write the holiday chapters? Yes. Yes I do. And since this takes place mid October, I am doing a Halloween one pretty soon. And those will most likely be crack/heartwarming, depending on the holiday itself. Another question I've been asked is, are the kids gonna meddle in Erik and Charles's bromantic adventure. Sort of. Hank is still kind of put off by the thought of the two, Alex and Sean have better shit to do, and Raven wants to sit on the side with a bucket popcorn and watch the two figure their relationship out on their own. Another question I get asked is where is Moira? I appreciate her as a character, but I still kinda hate her. She gets mentioned, and visits at one point, but ultimately she just isn't there most of the story. Anywho, enjoy this chapter, I spent forever on it.

"Well, good morning."

Erik rubbed at his eyes for a moment, ridding his face of the tiredness he felt. The bed was so warm and inviting, crimson sheets wrapped around him, keeping him cozy. Though his neck ached from the headboard and sleeping whilst sitting up, he didn't feel like moving very much today.

Charles tilted his head to face Erik's, not at all aware of how close the two were. He smiled and muttered something inaudible to Erik, who was still half asleep and only half aware of Charles's presence. The telepath hopped up off the bed and brushed his hands over his wrinkled dress shirt, sighing before looking back over to Erik. He had fallen back to sleep, properly now, his head against pillows instead of mahogany. Charles thought briefly of waking him up, but at the metal-bender's ghost of a sleeping smile, he decided against it.

Raven was never subtle when it came to Charles Xavier's love life.

She would bluntly state infront of everyone that he was in love with what ever girl he brought home that week. She wouldn't sugar coat her words when she'd announce to everyone that he had broken up with a woman the night before. Charles was a bit of a playboy. With his intriguing accent and his professor title, he could get any girl he wanted. She couldn't for the life if her remember his last real relationship though. A new girl every night was his usual ritual.

So when she opened Erik's door this morning, she wasn't expecting a telepath to be in there as well. Before amusement came shock, and after came jealousy. But the brief flood of anger that filled her from the sight soon vanished and was replaced by quiet understanding. She remembered what Angel had told her when she first met Erik and Charles. Angel said she was half expecting the two to kiss, just by the way they looked at each other. At first, Raven will admit, she was appalled by the thought of the two being together, appalled by the thought of two men together. But now, it all makes sense. The years of failed relationships all lead up to this very moment. And although she could tell the duo was not yet aware that they were in love, hopefully she could push them in the appropriate direction. But for now, she would let them figure out their situation by themselves, and if that fails, meddling never hurt too much.

"Where's Charles and Erik?" Hank's soft voice broke the silence and Raven chuckled lightly.

"Professor X and Magneto were in a bit of a... situation this morning. I wouldn't go in there if I were you." She smirked, all the innuendo intentionally filling her words. Hank just stared blankly, as if she wasn't talking at all, while Alex and Sean snickered and made jabs at the two 'lovebirds'.

"I swear, they act like a married couple sometimes" Alex said between laughs. Hank rolled his eyes. He respected the professor and his privacy, and all of this talk was nonsense to him. He abruptly stood up from the table and left without a word, leaving the others confused and bewildered.

Hank stormed down the hallway, thinking quietly to himself about how rude it was to poke fun at such an inspiring person, the person who had all brought them here to New York to train. The person who-

His thoughts were cut off when he ran right into the very person on his uneasy mind. Charles, stumbled backwards a little, while Hank fell onto the hard marble floor infront of him. He looked up at the telepath and thought one thing. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck, ignore me, just ignore me. Walk around me, don't help me up when I look like such an idiot...' Charles leaned down to help him up, despite his mental protests.

"Clumsy, for someone with such amazing abilities, but surley not an idiot." Hank cursed quietly at himself, taking the hand that was offered to him and pulling himself up.

"I forgot you could do that..."

"What, read minds? I've been told it's invasive, do you mind?" The young mutant shook his head and smiled.

"It's fine. That's amazing, not my... 'ability'." Charles shook his head and laughed. Hank looked down, clearly displeased by his mutation.

"Being a mutant is an amazing thing itself, being as unique as you though, having a physical mutation, is truly an astounding accomplishment." Charles smiled warmly, something common to see from the professor. Hank weakly smiled back. It would take a lot to convince him that his mutation was 'amazing'. Charles sighed, noting the lack of cofidence from the teen and made his way down the hall, leaving Hank alone with his thoughts.

Aim, cock the gun, and pull the trigger. Easy, right? Charles's arm fell again. "Just fire Charles." Aim, cock the gun- stop and realize you're about to shoot your friend.

"I-I can't. I could never shoot someone point blank, let alone a friend." Charles handed the gun back to Erik, his smile faltering slightly as the telepath refused to shoot.

"I know I can do this though! Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone to challenge themselves? " Erik tried putting the gun back in Charles's hand but he immediately pushed the weapon back again.

"If you know you can do it, you're not challenging yourself." Charles spun around to face the balcony. "See that satellite?" The telepath gently touched Erik on the shoulder and pointed in the distance. "I want you to make it face us."

Erik looked at Charles before raising his hands towards the dish. His face turned red in frustration when the satellite hadn't move. Charles hummed in wonder. "You know, I've always found that I find true focus somewhere between rage and serenity." Erik sighed.

"I was trained to focus on rage."

"And as long as that satellite faces East, I'm going to have to say those methods are pointless."

Charles sighed and drew a finger to the side of his head. Erik stood motionless as memories of his mother began to flood his mind. His cheek began to feel wet but he ignored it. With years of torture locked in his memory, the little ones like this had been pushed down. He looked over at Charles, who also had a tear roll down his face.

"That, was a beautiful memory, Erik." Erik didn't look back up to reply.

"I... I forgot I had it."

The telepath grabbed Erik by his shoulders and stared directly into the other's eyes. His expression was dead serious as he spoke with careful words.

"Erik, I know how much suffering you have been through, I have felt it all. But you are here now. You're fighting for something so much bigger than yourself. Erik, there is so much more to you than just pain and anger. Now, move the satellite."

Erik wiped the tears from his eyes and placed his hands in front of him, repeating 'rage and serenity' in his mind as if it were a prayer. The screeching of metal turning in the field excited both of the men, Charles beginning to grin wider and wider with each sound of the dish being turned. Erik had moved the satellite to face them entirely, breathing loudly, hunched over himself as Charles laughed with nothing other than pure joy for the man beside him.

"You...you did it! You did it, Erik! Look!" Charles leaned over the balcony and pointed frantically at the satellite, Erik grinning with the telepath. He had never seen Charles so excited, so filled with happiness, he couldn't help but feel a little pride in having been the one who caused it. For once, he was making someone smile. Making someone laugh. He couldn't even begin to describe the feeling he got from seeing the telepath so happy.

"Charles, Erik. The president's on." Raven poked her head out from behind the door. Charles's eyes widened briefly before hurrying back into the mansion, glancing back over to Erik for him to come as well. Pulling himself off if the balcony, he followed suit.

"I'm... but that's..." Raven trailed off, disappointment shining in her near-tearful eyes. The room fell silent after the announcement was over, Charles shaking slightly.

"The only way we can solve this, for now, is by training. I want everyone outside and working, now." Erik tried to calm the professor down while the younger mutants obliged and exited the room.

"Charles, are you-"

"I'm fine, Erik. Please, you've... you've done amazing today. Help the others, I'll be in the shelter training Alex, alright?" Erik didn't bother resisting, and left after giving Charles a reasuring thought.

'Everything will be fine, Charles. Things will be alright.'

Charles smiled softly. "I thought you told me to stay out of your head? Now all of a sudden you decide to communicate with me that way?" Erik laughed.

Erik shrugged. "I knew you'd do it anyways."

Charles smiled weakly, exiting the room, shouting behind him.

"Of course my friend, of course."

Alex gave the shelter a worried look around.

"You sure it can... hold me tearing it up?" Charles sat up the last mannequin in the middle and sighed.

"This was made to contain nuclear bombs, Alex. I'm sure it can contain you."

Alex shrugged and continued to examine the shelter. "Now, I want you to hit the one in the middle, can you do that for me?" Alex nodded. "Should I leave?" Another shaky nod. "Alright then. Remember, only hit the one in the middle. I'll be behind the door." Charles continued to exit the shelter, the door heaving shut with a loud metalic thud.

Alex shook his head, trying and failing to rid his mind of doubtful thoughts, and braced himself.

Charles giggled slightly as the alarm whent off in the shelter. As soon as he opened the door, he gasped and reached for the fire extinguisher, flames lining the shelter, every mannequin engulfed in fire except the one in the middle. Charles chased the flames, putting them out as Alex shrugged, an 'I told you so' look about his face.

"Well that was... interesting. Hank is being kind enough as to start designing a prototype censor for your chest. It should help measure your energy output, and help us understant how it exactly works. Tomorrow, I have a little surprise for your training." Alex raised an eyebrow but the professor clicked his tounge. "Tomorrow. It is a surprise after all."

Charles smiled his warm smile and left the shelter, or at least tried to, as Alex stopped the professor in order to ask him something.

"Are you okay?"

The question came out soft, a tone the young mutant rarely used. Charles stopped in his tracks, honestly answering, "I don't know, Alex. But I think I will be." Alex nodded, though obvious he didn't fully understand the telepath's reply. Charles exited, making his way back to the courtyard to find Raven and the others.

Erik stood behind Sean, covering his ears as 'Banshee' screamed aloud, shattering the glass that had been set up outside. Charles stepped beside Sean, saying something about why glass breaks from high frequencies. "It's truly extraordinary, the way things work."

Sean smirked. "Is it as extraordinary as Magne- ow! Raven!" The girl ran up and tackled Sean to the ground, making sure he couldn't finish his sentance. Erik and Charles stared in confusion.

"Raven! What are you doing?" Charles ran over to Sean in order to help him to his feet. He thanked the professor before glaring sharply at Raven.

"Oh don't look at me like that. They don't exactly... know, yet."

"How could they not know yet? They're so obviously in lo- what the hell Raven?" The young shape-shifter elbowed Sean in the face, his nose making an awful crunching sound with the impact. Raven laughed nervously before taking Sean by the hand and running back frantically towards the mansion. "I guess I should take Sean to the infirmary. Good night Charles, you too Erik."

"I'll come with you-" Charles's offer was refused, Raven shaking her head 'no'.

"Oh, he's fine. We'll just leave you two be." Raven smiled, her flustered face hidden behind golden locks, her arms linked with Sean's in order to lead him away. They sprinted across stairs leading up to glass doors, making a thud as they closed it behind them.

"I'll never understand her." Charles ghosted a smile, slight confusion swirling in his eyes. Erik, looked up at his friend, looking a little thrown.

"Why don't you just read her mind?" Charles smile still held, though his eyes clouded with an indescribable emotion.

"I promised her I wouldn't." Erik made a noise of understanding, though the telepath could tell that he did not. "It's getting rather dark, I'm going inside soon..." The professor tilted his head toward the mansion, still looking down. Erik followed Charles back inside, closing the large doors with a wave of his hand.

The laughs of Sean and Raven filled the room next to him, disturbing him from his...well...nothing. Alex sat facing the wall of his single-bedded room, his head pressed gently against the smooth wooden panels. The echos of laughter had woken him up, intriugued him, and as much as he would love to go and join them, his fear of harming others panged in his chest. Training was awful today, the tunnel a blaze as his spiraling rings shot from his chest. His years in inprisonment taught him how to survive without people- without hurting people.

His thoughts were interupted by a firey redhead and a near perfect doppleganger, if it wern't for Raven's obviously girlish pose. "Hey there stranger!" Raven's blue form crept back into her skin, replacing the figure of Sean. The screamer seemed completely comfortable around her alien-like form, which Alex couldn't quite say the same for himself. He shifted uncomfortably in the presence of the duo, not knowing what to say to them. With his head still pressed against gleaming wooden panels, he darted his eyes back over to them. "What are you two still doing up?"

Raven darted her yellow eyes between Sean and Alex, before slowly shifting back into a familiar blond. "You've been in jail for a while now, haven't you?" Alex hesitantly nodded. "I think Banshee here should be your roommate, for while we're here."

Silence, something only a statement like that could shut the ginger up.


End file.
